Neither booze nor bloodshed
by tinytoottoot
Summary: General Nicholas Piberius Wilde is in a pub with Commander Finnick, a raccoon and an otter locked in interspecies embrace, and the bright, and beautiful mystery that was Judith Hopps.


"She is a proper bit o' jam, Nicholas, the feistiest there is. And I know how much you love the chase."

Finnick was a little, sand-furred mammal with ears extending a few inches from his squat, small head. His eyes bore big, chestnut orbs that now looked dizzy from booze. He tugged at my coat to steady himself, shooting a most suggestive glance my way. I nearly thrashed my tail at him in annoyance for how he had been speaking.

"Do you not, Nicholas?"

I did not answer. The thought of a brothel has never crossed my mind, neither did requiring the services of a prostitute, of all things. It was preposterous, absolutely queer, for a man such as myself to entertain these thoughts. It was no secret that the war was tough and will forever be, but I have never given the slightest thought of a female companion in a lonely, moonlit night.

"Are you listening, Nicholas?"

I stood looking at him, projecting as much disdain as I can muster, but knew deep down that I wanted to know what a vixen's body felt like once more. Slender, silken, and sensual, a perfect marriage of grace and sexuality.

"I am, Finnick," I said, and the small mammal laughed a loud laugh that sent the whole pub laughing in uproarious chorus. How utterly childish.

"What say you we head there tonight, back slang it, hm? And the boys won't feel a thing. Come along," said Finnick, after thumbing our colleagues who were already powdering hair. One of which, his name was Snarlov, a towering polar bear with eyes dancing with alcohol, already had an arm wound around a spritely young female tigress with mirthful chestnut eyes, who I believe had been the server.

"I cannot," I said, though I felt as though betraying myself. So strong was the urge that I had to mentally hit myself.

"Why not?"

"It is not proper."

"What do you know about propriety, Nicholas?"

"More than you do, you're going to get yourself bloody boiled owled the moment you leave this pub," I snapped. Finnick all but laughed, grabbing a bottle as tall as he.

"You _are_ going to like her. Come on." grinned Finnick, moving a paw in the direction of the backdoor where a young otter was already in amorous congress with a dizzy aged raccoon, her body draped on the wooden surface, her hips bound to the raccoon's and her eyes closed, her moans spilling. The wooden thresholds creaked and groaned under the pressure of their vigorous activity and the young otter caught my stare. She smiled and whimpered, apparently aroused at the way I had probably looked like I was ogling her.

Finnick knew I was looking, because he was too, before he took a swig from his bottle. Whether it was from the way the couple presented themselves or the idea that they were locked in interspecies embrace, I cannot tell why Finnick had scoffed.

"Nothing is upright in this town, Nicholas. For tonight, let it go, embrace the filth," said Finnick, looking suddenly grim, pushing the backdoor open as the cold, biting evening air engulfed us.

"Who is she?"

"You shall soon see."

I did not like how much my fur raised at the thought of meeting this woman Finnick spoke of. I hated that I wanted to. And I despised that I said it aloud, hated that Finnick obliged and hated that I anticipated.

—

It soaked into my feet and hung thick in the air, the scent of dirt and grime and moss. Finnick, despite his uncanny affinity with alcohol, maneuvered deftly through the labyrinth of long stretches of dirty alleys. Deeper he went until I needed to keep up finally, his small feet were surprisingly light and nimble. He laughed a little, hiccuped, and pushed forward like an escaped madman until he came to a stop. Quickly, I halted myself and condemned myself for unbelievably agreeing to this tot-hunting and righted my uniform, gazing at the establishment Finnick was now looking towards. There, a slender, fashionable gazelle waited at the door of a cozy-looking dwelling. Inside, music and singing could be heard. The gazelle wore a tight bodice over a tattered-looking chemise, her dresses worn and withered like that of a flower losing its brilliance in autumn, a murky brown shade. On top of her head, a single twirl of hair made her appear youthful but I could tell she was the brothel Abbess Finnick had spoken of. I noticed just how the gazelle's short right sleeve hung precariously low so that her white and caramel fur shone soft in the kiss of dusk. When Finnick wobbled unsteadily on tiny feet and gazed at the antelope, a grin formed on the gazelle's colored lips and I knew then that Finnick was a Corinthian. All of a sudden, I was unsure. Finnick pushed forward, urged by the sweet seduction like the gal-sneaker he was. I followed, not wanting to look like a fool. Closer the gazelle came with her uncouth dresses and her sly eyes and the entrancing symphony of her voice.

"You came in late tonight, love, all the vixens are presently face-making," the gazelle spoke as though the prostitutes were but objects. Finnick gave a chuckle and hiccuped.

"It is alright, Gazelle. I have no need of a vixen tonight. I have brought Nicholas here to have a go at a young tart, any lass would love nothing more than to sleep with a venerable gentleman of such upstanding character," drawled Finnick, in his deep sleazy voice.

"What do you need?"

"Something to get General Wilde out of his shell."

"Hey!" I uttered in protest.

"I have just the right fix for you, gents. Judith!"

So ready was I to turn around and get lost in the alleys for that would have been a far nobler decision than going to bed with a strange woman as though being male justified such a practice. That was when the warm voice of a woman carried my thoughts away, let it drift in the wind, let it fly to the sea, and right before me, in a package of gray and white and the prettiest, most worn-out shade of purple, away, my thoughts melted.

"Gazelle, charming our gentlemen again?" said the little rabbit, holding her shawl close to her tight bodice as her chest heaved up at inhale. She looked so elegant, unlike the overly colored cheeks the other prostitutes sported, the unruly head of hair, and the excessively red lips. Her paws were pressed in front of her dress, collecting at the center. Her nose was mildly twitching in curiosity and her lips were set in a relaxed smile. She did not look anything at all like a dollymop.

Gazelle smirked but my eyes stayed upon the gray creature, her patted down hair, face devoid of any cosmetics and into her sparkly purple eyes. It did not occur to me that Finnick would endorse me to an interspecies prostitute. Vixens were often considered the gem of the industry but peculiarities did stay. Such as this little gray gift.

"Judith, your penchant for faux modesty makes you such a great lover. This here is Commander Finnick and General Nicholas Piberius Wilde of the Fox Crescent Military Base," said Gazelle.

"Oh, no, I shall stay out of this one, the general is all yours, Gazelle. I'm afraid I will have to go back and get myself another shant of bivvy," the antelope dropped a hoof down to drunk Finnick, who placed a heavy bag of coins in them. I had to stop it but before I had the chance, Finnick had but winked his way out of the situation, stating in silence that for tonight, here I shall stay.

"Take her in if you must, General," said the antelope, cocking a head to the merry dwelling behind her, "or you can be a dear and take her out and fuck her in the streets."

"It is most delightful to meet your acquaintance, good sir. Gazelle, would you be so kind as to retire inside? Some men are having a little too much to drink. We don't want the constable here patching up a horrible mafficking, now do we?" suggested Judith, unfazed by the way Gazelle regarded her.

With eyes wide and nostrils flaring, the antelope looked incredulously at Judith. "If I were you, Hopps, I'd keep my mouth shut."

"If I were you, Gazelle, I'd thank me for all the profit I make."

Gazelle huffed in defeat and mumbled a resentful 'harlot.' Beyond the door, she disappeared as the loud music droned out in the background and Judith's steady, silky voice carried itself towards me once more. My ears twitched.

"I see your friend has taken the liberty to offer you a different type of companionship for the night," stated Judith calmly. I watched her perfect posture bend the slightest at the hip so that I could see the smooth curve.

"It was a.. Gift. I do not usually do this, madam." I stated awkwardly, feeling very much dismayed at my pitiful effort.

She merely giggled timidly at my retort, not poked up in the slightest, and carefully declared, "A noble feat, dear sir, although now, it seems as though your friend has long had other plans set out in your future."

"That, he does," was all I could say. Judith walked suddenly forward and I felt my heart pound. It all came rushing to me, her scent, her fur, her paws, her feet, her muzzle, nose, ears, and the softest, most intimately wonderful teardrop tail I have ever laid eyes upon. She passed me by, continued forward towards an alley so dark it hid her small, pear-shaped body. From a single sliver of moonlight that streaked her form, I saw her paws come to rest at her hip, to hike up the rich petticoat of her dress. Through me shot a swift bite of delight. But I held her paws to stop her out of instinct. A woman was not to undress in front of me in public just because she was paid to do so. I had to at least give her a shred of dignity. Recognizing this, Judith's laugh filled the air around me as her lithe body slinked back closer to my taller one, her paws coming to rest at the pristine blue of my coat. She was small as she stood in front me, her head reaching only halfway to my chest, her black-tipped ears extending only to tip of my wet nose.

"I can tell you are different, good sir. But you needn't worry, I have spread my legs far too often down these alleyways and moldy cobblestone roads to merit true modesty. You can do with me whatever you please, you have gained the right to do so, the moment your considerate friend paid in full moments ago, the likes of which will feed me for a fortnight," explained the gray rabbit, as her paws continued caressing my clothed chest. I knew they were silken and soft, I could see it in every feature of her small body; the bright, beautiful mystery that was Judith Hopps.

It irked me so that she would easily yield like she had said, and so I took her paws in mine. She made no move of opposition or surprise towards the action; to her, it was commonplace.

"No, no. We shall not do it here. Come along."

Behind her, I walked the whole way to a nearby inn where the walls were slightly thicker. After paying for a room, I lead her upstairs on the floor in which I would then find it. An embossed 10 stared right back at me as Judith paused in front of the door. Not knowing what to do, I stared at her when she caught my gaze, and I kept thinking if she saw the way emotions engulfed me at the sight of her. Forward, she walked and reached for the doorknob. The room was meek but cozy, the bed was a washed out shade of white, its bed frame polished oak. To the left was a lone desk filled only with what seemed necessary, a single lit candle. Her flat feet met the equally polished floor of the room, as the trails of her worn out purple dress tickled the dusty surface. Slowly, I looked up, watched as she came upon the open window and stared out briefly into the soundless night. The breeze moved in her fur as her ears fluttered in the wind like bamboos bending.

She looked like a masterpiece, standing there as though I was not in the room. Behind the purple dress, beyond the confident sound of her voice, the stream of delight her paws offered, I knew, there lay a trapped soul motivated alone by the will to stay alive.

"Good sir," began Judith.

"Nicholas, please," I assured and saw a faint smile on her lips.

"Alright. Nicholas, would you be so kind as to free me from my bodice and dresses?" asked Judith tenderly and her long, black-tipped ears remained perked, unafraid. Her arms stretched to the side as her hips curved elegantly rightward, the soft bulge of the back of her dress emphasizing her luxurious hip and rear. I felt my resolve wane away, felt my feet push forward, felt the rope of the bodice against my paw, felt it slide off her body, felt her dresses meet the floor, heard it, and felt the world collapse slowly around me. I watched her body for every little twitch, every little ripple and saw none. Judith was in a state of eerie calm and it hypnotized me.

In silence, I ran my padded paws upon her even tighter corset, loosening the intricate lacing. Once loose, I let it drop so that she was left only in her cotton chemise. Judith turned her head but did not meet my gaze. Her paws clasped at the drawstring of her chemise, until it was open enough for me to peek at more of the soft white fur on her chest. Up her arms went as she stared forward. I took a deep breath and started to touch the bottom of her chemise, right beside her ankle, and dragged the garment slowly up and over her head and inhaled her deeply; she smelt so pungently delicious. She was not wearing undergarments, a mixture of gray and white meeting upon her chest as rich, thick white fur started from below, within her underbelly. I ran my paw upon the soft abundance of fur and felt the heat of her skin. I could not stop, all I could ever think of was that I wanted to keep touching her, hold her, kiss her and—

"Nicholas," she hummed, a sound so sultry. The feel of her soft hip fur suddenly registered in my mind, when I realized that my fingers had been making delicate circles upon her body. My ears perked and I felt a strong stirring within me, a firm tightness in my trousers, throwing me in a vast oblivion of impending pleasure. Emboldened, I stroked my padded paws through her small body, ran it down the side of her legs as the rest of her dress pooled at her feet like a purple puddle. She panted helplessly within my paws as I ran one paw delicately beside her leg and the other, I bravely flattened over her modest but entirely supple breasts and pert nipples. She released a most marvelous sound then, as her body writhed and leaned against my frame so sensually, and her head lolled back to my chest. Her eyes were closed as my paws worked her taut nipples, putting them in between my thumb and forefinger.

 _"There are things you must never do with a prostitute," said Finnick at one pub meeting we held a few years back. And he started enumerating reasons, one by one._

It felt so good now, like I was not me, a soldier so worn out in battle. It felt like she was not she, a prostitute sleeping with a man only for the promise of a few coins. It felt as though the world and its cruel ways vanished around us so that when I lowered my head to lick her wide open neck, I felt a surge of delight, a glimpse of a night in ecstasy. And I didn't entirely hate that I wanted it more now than ever before. My paws stayed on her chest, until I pushed lower, letting my fingers marvel in the silken fur. Her heart was thudding frantically as my arm brushed against the side of her body to keep her from sliding to the floor. She was so soft.

 _Finally, with an unusually chagrined look on his face, finished his wise musings with, "Do not ever fall in love with them."_

It took all of my willpower not to lift her up and take her there on the windowsill. She was a sight to behold, bent and mewling under my touch. I lifted her up, turned her around and pressed her silken body against mine. Through the thick material of my luscious coat, her heat seeped through, feeding the hunger in my soul but never being quite enough. My paw cradled her bottom and her legs wrapped around my lower abdomen; it felt wonderful, thrilling, and also terrifying that a stranger had me in the palm of her paws. But Judith seemed to be taking care of the power she had over me. Leaning in, she placed a paw on one side of my face as the other one stroked the top of my head. I felt yearning so strong at that, a dangerous desire to want more than just a single encounter.

"Nicholas," came her smooth voice as I opened my eyes, "Kiss me."

Weak and impassioned, I could only do what she had asked, and nothing else. Sideways my head turned as I swooped in and captured her lips in mine. Indeed, it was most unusual; a fox and a bunny engaged in intimacy so delicate, so novel to me, but I did not care. Staying like this, holding her, kissing her, it felt like a small piece of heaven found its way into her body. It felt right. And steady. The kiss was firm, and sure, as was I, I am keenly aware and it awoke in me something so primal it startled and stiffened me. I wanted to mate with her.

Not just this.

Not just a night of moving lips and rocking hips.

But the chance to have her, mate with her, and take her for life. I have never felt so selfish before.

I took her to the desk, all reason draining away from me, and swiped everything from it surface with a frantic move of my arm. The fire was extinguished, as the candle hit the floor with a dull thud. And the room was blanketed instantly in darkness, but the pleasure in my green eyes remained locked with her hazy purples. There, I laid her down, her small body fitting perfectly so that only her legs were dangling upon the edge.

"Nicholas, I can see something behind your eyes," she whispered suddenly, leaving me momentarily stunned. In the dark, I could still see, with the help of my night vision.

"I have seen men, from top to toe. I know what their eyes hold and I feel it in their movements, and you seem to be ensnared in something, Nicholas," with that, forward she went as her mouth found mine again. She was a prostitute, an interspecies one, I didn't know what type of men she had slept with, but I kissed her so passionately.

"What do you see?" I asked, absently caressing her legs and staring into her eyes after the kiss. The wind hummed lowly through the open window as little light reflected against her fur.

"I see.." whispered Judith once more, her words sharp and seamless in the air, "Me. And you. And a desire I've never seen before. Nicholas, I am but a prostitute, and in the dark of the night when I've served my duty to such a wonderful man, you can leave me open, with a few coins thrown across my body."

It hurt that the image sealed itself into my mind, hurt that the exact manner in which she'd said it sounded like a routine speech. Something she gave out to all of the men before me who have been too carried away as to show such emotions.

But I am not carried away.

"I can stay with you through the night, Judith, you need only to say it."

"Then I must leave. I cannot stay, Nicholas, I have not the right to do so. Do not oblige yourself for my sake."

I could not say it. That I wanted her. That I did the moment I saw her standing like a broken soul staring out at the windowsill, under the light of the looming crescent. I dragged my paws behind her legs and in the middle and slowly parted them.

"What are your dreams, Judith?"

My question elicited a different response in her. Her purple eyes widened and her pink lips fell open, her ears flopped down and her composure faltered.

I wanted to show her I wanted to care, and I knew she knows the instant she cleared her throat and said, "It is of no importance to you, Nicholas."

"Oh, but it is. Tell me, Judith," I whispered her name with as much tenderness as I can, as though it was a solemn vow, a prayer to a precious fallen woman. I ran my fingers on the inside of her thighs where the heat of her body was at its peak. She leaned back on her paws momentarily and moaned as my fingers brushed her pink muff. I ran a clawed finger up against her damp folds, before pressing my warm padded fingers upon her sopping entrance. The scent that exploded as I did made me groan.

"What do you dream about, Judith? What do you want in your young life? What do you wish for?" I asked continuously, as my thumb found its way inside her swollen vagina red now with desire. She was small and supple and warm once inside, my thumb fit snugly. The air was so pungent as her scent surrounded me, young and nubile and sweet and delicious. She moaned and let her back fall onto the tabletop as my thumb pushed its way inside her, the feeling of her tight wet cavern making my mouth water.

"Tell me, Judith," I asked again, driven by lust and curiosity, this time, murmuring it into her ears as I licked her neck. She mewled again as my thumb caressed her wet entrance.

"I wish," she started, breathless, "I wish—ahh.. To be like you, Nicholas."

"Like me, how?" I inquired as I swirled my thumb inside her and flicked her swollen clitoris. She bit her lips and lifted her head to look at me. Her eyes were droopy, clouded with the lust I knew I was also exuding. Taking my thumb out, I licked them sinfully, lapping up the glistening residue in my fur.

"I wish to be a soldier, Nicholas.." her voice trailed as her eyes focused on me. Curious still and yet aroused at the same time, I freed myself from my fitted blue coat. I draped it around her shoulders when I sat her upright, fitting her arms into the larger sleeves and fixing a single bronze button at her chest. It took a while for her to recognize, and she closed her eyes to feel the heavy coat against her small shoulders. On either side, her ears dropped and upon her lips came a child-like smile. Her eyes sparkled and shone palpable delight when she opened them, her paws trembling at the feel of the coat. I smiled fondly at her but she did not see. I did not mind, I had no need to, the wonder in her eyes made me happy enough.

"So, why did you not?"

She looked up at me then, with eyes so unsure that it contrasted with the confidence she exhibited back in the dark alleyway. This was it. I had breached the barrier, and I knew she was frightened. Looking over at my vest, she reached a paw out to unfasten them and spoke once more as the piece of clothing crumpled at the floorboards.

"It is of no importance, Nicholas."

"It is."

"Why do you want so much to know?" whined Judith, gripping at my cotton dress shirt.

"Because I can see it too. I can tell, Judith, that you have always wanted to be more than this," I said, holding her face in my paw. She breathed through her small, pink nostrils.

Her brows furrowed and her paws retreated as her fingers thumbed the lone bronze button that held the coat over her body in place. I had feared she would run away the instant I said what I had. Instead, she lifted her head and looked at me, truly looked at me with her liquid purple eyes so vivid with emotion and confusion. And she parted her legs slowly, opening the bottom of the coat and pulling my hips closer. It made my breath hitch.

"Nicholas?" asked Judith, her voice dropping to a sultry octave. Her eyes remained on me. It became clear to me she did not wish to talk about her dreams further, and so I did not further ask.

Lifting a leg, she slid her rear agonizingly slow upon the tabletop, and bent her knee, giving me a full view of her aroused vagina.

"Why shall I always tell you what to do to me?"

I laughed and swooped in to kiss her, settling for the fact that I will not mind if she left and took my heart away tonight. She did not even need to try. I popped the button of my trousers in a frenzied attempt of release and scooped her up in my arms, bedforshire.

The bed was soft and chilly from the open window as my paws found the marvelous curve of her hips. I held onto her tenderly and felt my body shiver as her small pink tongue licked and nipped at my neck. The sides of her long, slender but undeniably strong thighs stroked at my hip rhythmically and then found their way to my slowly moving tail. Closer, she pulled my lower body with her legs so that the tip of my erect penis brushed against her sex. She made me grunt and groan and fist at the sheets as I frantically kissed her again. Her mouth was skilled and her paws were working magic against my fur, stroking with her claws at the skin beneath my coat. Instinctively forward did my hips buck when she brushed her warm, puckered sex against mine.

"Oh, Nicholas," cried Judith, brushing herself against my erection once more. I growled haplessly and felt even more primal arousal flow within me. I made sure she knew I was going to worship her tonight and all that she was, I wanted to. Backwards I went and crawled on all fours until the end of my wet purple nose was but a meager distance from her soaked quim. A faint sigh came from her mouth agape and I swooped in bravely to give her sex the same treatment I gave her small, sweet mouth. I pushed my tongue out first, giving her puckered folds a firm, long lick. My head spun as my paws gripped steady on her legs and hips. She tasted tangy and sweet, like a bizarre mixture of sugar and spice. I looked up at her as I was licking, her eyes looking so cant and lecherous. Thirsty, I drew a long lick again, stopping at her clitoris to suck at it. At that, I felt her toes curl and her back arch as more melodious sounds escaped her mouth.

I opened my muzzle, so that my jaw spanned her bottom and my incisors tickled her stomach slightly. It gave me the perfect angle to thrust my tongue inside her deeper, drinking in more of her sweet and spicy nectar. Within my trousers, my erection throbbed harshly, yearning for sweet release. But I held myself back, my brows furrowing in focus as I lapped her up religiously.

If Judith was the last prostitute I will ever have the chance to sleep with, it would still be the most fortunate night of my life. The more she mewled, the more I licked, and the more I licked, the more I tasted, the more I longed, and the more I was filled with sorrow.

I can not have her.

Until finally, around me, her walls tightened when it became too much and a fresh burst of sweet and spice ran down my lips, straight to my throat. I drank her reverently, taking in every last drop. Once I was finished, she was a picture of beautiful mess, her legs trembling, her jaw slack and her paws at her small breasts.

"Why did you do that, Nicholas?" She asked breathless.

"Why should I not?" I asked. Suddenly, it did not occur to me why she would ask such a thing. Her flavor lingered in my mouth like a blueberry pie I remembered loving as a kit and I licked my lips absently.

"It is not to be done to a prostitute. Do not lavish me; I am not your wife and shall never be," she whispered in a voice of anger and in my state of confusion, I was not sure, but I thought I saw tears in her eyes.

"You might as well be," I answered in earnest, sliding myself inside her now. Slick and wet from my ministrations, I slid in effortlessly, burying myself to the hilt. Struggling to keep myself from abruptly emptying inside her, I pressed my forehead against hers and inhaled the smell of her arousal.

"I am a prostitute, Nicholas," she repeated when she found her voice as I slowly began pounding inside her. She neither flinched nor groaned out a cry of pain; instead, she clamped down on her trembling bottom lip and welcomed me soundlessly inside her.

"You are, Judith," I replied, panting hot, forceful breaths on her exposed nipples. I licked them occasionally, each time I hit her deep enough.

"And you.." breathed Judith, wrapping her legs tight around my hips as my pace became erratic.

"You are an esteemed General, a man.. Of the highest... Honor."

"You are afraid, Judith."

She panted in quick, shallow breaths each time my cock stroked her walls, and as I felt hot tears dripping down the pillow and seeping into my paws, I stared at her.

"I am, Nicholas. I could never give you anything worthwhile, anything precious—ooooh," she moaned into my mouth when I kissed her.

"This, tonight, my dear Judith, will be the single, most precious moment in my life. If you shall leave, if you shall decide to do so, take my heart with you. It is yours."

That night, she screamed, so sharp and high and we erupted together, so strong, like the fire in our hearts. I kissed her and she kissed me back as we drifted into sound sleep. In the morning when I woke, she was gone and my garments were neatly folded upon the sheets. My coat still smelt of her the moment I wore them and the memories of the night that transpired locked itself into my mind.

She might have not stayed in the morning, but she was there in the night. In that moment, I hoped she would see, how beautiful the world would be, if we were together. I would love her, protect her, and treat her nothing short of the bright, beautiful young woman that she truly was.

—

A full year had gone by since my encounter with Judith, but I came back to the brothel. I came back each day but the gazelle would always say the same; that Judith had long gone, journeyed back from whence she came. I had not the slightest idea, not one sliver of where she might be and I was filled with so much pain. I pushed my sorrow down and continued doing my part in battle, heralding my men.

When the days of war had ended, and I once again found myself in a pub with drunk Finnick, I began thinking about Judith once more. She has always been there, in the recesses of my mind, in the deep little niches in my soul. I had never forgotten her voice or her lips or her dreams or her eyes; she was so dear to me and will always be. Neither booze nor bloodshed could tear her away from my soul.

"Another fill, Sir?" The voice of a bartender snapped me out of my reverie and I nodded slightly to the vixen over the counter. She smiled at me but it was Judith's smile that I could see. The vixen nodded once and sauntered over to fill a cup for a hatted rabbit at the end of the long table.

I was hallucinating once more. I had been so frequently.

Towards me, the rabbit looked after taking her fill from the vixen and I could see that her eyes were purple.

I truly am hallucinating.

"Nicholas?"

Oh, god, she sounded like her even.

"Come here," the rabbit said, tipping her head sideways for me to come over. So filled was I of longing that I no longer cared if she was but a hallucination. Until she held my paw, and looked at me with a smile so wide and genuine that it made my heart leap and my soul soar.

"Shall I always tell you what to do?"

—

 **A/N: Yey! SO here's another short story I've got for you guys. The idea came to me one night when I was sorting out a whole box of my old books and I saw this book written by Emile Zola, titled "Nana". When I started reading it (and I presently still am), I thought the Victorian era felt like a good setting. So, I learned everything I could about the era and edited this manuscript for a whole week. It was a real challenge but I still wanted to do it anyway. And I wanted to explore the possibilities of Judy and Nick's character with this one and that was the reason why I switched them up. In which, Nick was the one who turned his stereotype around and Judy was the one who didn't have a chance to escape hers. Overall, it was a real joy to write, and it felt good because I felt like I was going back in time or something. But, I know it's not perfect. Still, hopefully, you guys'll still like it. Enjoy! :))**


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